Folding multihulls and their beam-reduction strategies.
Aaron Porter | Professional BoatBuilder Magazine A Farrier 33R trimaran with amas folded and secured on a road-legal trailer exem- plifies the advantages of adjustable- beam multihulls, which are easy to trans- port and store out of the water.
“I’ll be surprised if you can find space in the harbor for that thing,” I heard him say as my new 37‘ (11.3m) trimaran was about to be launched. I hadn’t given it much thought, but now this legitimate question was raised, and where to moor was the next issue at hand. Space, particularly width of a slip, becomes the limiting requirement. But then, space also is one of the attractive features of multihulls—deck space to move around on, free from the confines of the cockpit.
Step aboard any multihull and it is obvious how much real estate they offer. Even small models seem expansive. The beam of the typical catamaran is half its length, and trimarans are even wider, sometimes as wide as they are long. Aside from increasing space, beam also boosts stability without adding ballast. The early Pacific Islanders created these form-stable craft for fishing and interisland commerce and voyaging where natural island harbors were few, so the boats had to be light enough for crew to carry them up the beach. Today’s modern multihulls are still lighter than contemporary monohulls, but the larger ones preclude the option of dry sailing them from the beach. They require more marina space than monohulls, and the limited number of slips to accommodate them can be a problem. As someone once put to me, “Multihulls have a poor ‘stacking factor.’”
With catamarans and trimarans becoming more popular, they demand mooring solutions. Some marinas offer shallow-water slips to multihulls, typically at the inboard ends of docks, next to the seawall, because multihulls either have shallow keels or retractable boards. Some marinas also designate the end ties as multihull slips in areas not used for transients. Even though these boats protrude farther into the channel than monohulls, the extra space their beam occupies is relatively small. With multihulls crowding waiting lists for marina slips, builders were prompted to consider folding systems to “improve their stacking factor.”
Without ballast, smaller multihulls up to about 30‘ (9.1m) can be dry-stored on a trailer, and most launch ramps easily accommodate over-width boats. If the boat’s beam can be reduced to the legal highway width of 8.5‘ (2.6m), the owner can store the boat at home. Today, folding trimarans and catamarans are common sights on trailers in storage yards and backyards. Various folding systems have evolved to support this need, especially for the backyard builder. Some beam-reduction systems allow the boats to be folded and stored in the water in conventional-size marina slips, while other systems facilitate efficient storage or provide street-legal trailering.
Folding Systems
Basic folding systems are separated into several categories:
- take-apart akas, the simplest beam-reduction method
- telescoping akas (sliding beams)
- simple horizontal hinge
- complex horizontal hinge
systems - vertical hinges (swing wing)
- complex swing wing
The following overview of folding systems illustrates how these mechanisms work. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of available folding designs. I’ll address two-hull boats (catamarans and proas) first, followed by trimarans. Each type has its challenges and advantages. All are separated into two more categories: transportable boats and trailerable boats. The characteristic distinguishing between them is the time and effort required to launch, starting from an on-the-trailer folded condition. Trailerable implies the possibility of daily launching, requiring less than an hour from trailering to sailing. Transportable denotes a road-legal trailer package but with a longer assembly time to sail away. It might even take more than one trailer load, and considerable assembly time. Legal width in this category could extend to 10‘ (3m) wide if OVERSIZE LOAD signs are used (consult local laws). Transportable boats usually require seasonal transport with storage in the water during sailing season and dry storage in the winter. Both categories benefit from the ability to “go to weather at 65 mph” to reach any suitable launching site, even hundreds of miles from home. This opens the possible sailing venue to any water body with a launch ramp and road access, and some trailerable and transportable boats can be delivered anywhere in the world in standard shipping containers.
Catamarans and Proas
Courtesy Andy Zimmerman The WindRider 17′ trima- ran’s telescoping tubular akas are secured with pins
Hobie Cats and other beach cats are familiar sights around lakes, beaches, and harbors. They are usually built to 8‘ (2.4m) beam and do not need folding systems. The 19‘ (5.8m) Tornado class catamaran at 10‘ wide uses a side tilt-up trailer to reduce beam. Larger catamarans needing folding systems have greater challenges than trimarans of the same length, for a few reasons: The hulls are normally bigger (and heavier) than amas for the same length trimaran; the mast is stepped on the center of an aka, midway between the hulls, which means the aka must be extra strong; and there is no easy means of supporting the hulls while the beam is being expanded to the sailing position, requiring that the trailer have an expanding-beam function. As a result, folding systems are less common on cats and are usually of three types:
- folding akas along the centerline or to a center pod
- telescoping akas
- take-apart akas
David Ryan On this Wharram cat, the akas are securely lashed into “deck alleys.”
Designers have used telescoping akas, but production boats generally avoid the associated complexity and cost. The mechanically straightforward take-apart feature has successfully been used by many boats, like the 27‘ (8.2m) Stiletto Cat and others. Generally, the assembly of these boats takes some time and muscle, which relegates them to the transportable category. Stiletto Cat advertising suggests a four-hour setup time, but in reality, it is much longer. All the James Wharram–designed catamarans up to 63‘ (19.2m) are held together with rope lashings and can be dismantled for transport. The required time and effort are generally proportional to the length of the boat.
Note that the Gougeon 32‘ (9.7m) sailing catamaran is unique, at 8‘ wide, without folding capability but with a water ballast system to make up for the lack of form stability.
Trimarans
The large main hull of a typical smaller trimaran offers a larger interior space than a comparably sized catamaran, a deep footwell in the cockpit for comfortable seating, and a folding system for trailering with the amas connected to a well-supported main hull. In addition, the mast is stepped on the main hull, with the headstay attached to the bow, not to the akas.
Trailerable trimarans come in all sizes to about 32‘ long, with transportable designs somewhat longer. The latter types tend to have larger interior spaces and less complex connectives. To a certain extent, manufacturers were willing to add cost to the folding system to reduce setup time. Folding capability on or off the water also adds to the design challenges.
Take-Apart Aka Systems
This is the least expensive method and easiest to achieve for the home builder or the manufacturer. The akas may be built-up wood box beams or tubular metal. Each beam is secured to the hulls by through-bolts, bolted straps, plug-in sockets, or lashings. Tubular aluminum beams are the lightest but most expensive. Regardless of attachment method, the hulls must be supported in their respective positions for the akas to be installed. In small vessels, this can be an abbreviated procedure, but larger vessels will require a special trailer to hold the disconnected amas while on the road.
Courtesy Chesapeake Light Craft The Chesapeake Light Craft 15′ single outrigger canoe akas lash into saddles on both hulls.
Telescoping Aka Systems
The telescoping option is limited to boats where the total stack-up width and length dimensions of the hulls and fully retracted akas do not exceed the legal road limits. The WindRider 17 is a good example. The boat is supported on “high bars” on the trailer, leaving the amas free to be moved in or out. The simplicity of the akas and trailer-support system reduces cost and launching time.
In larger vessels, this system has been applied to reduce width for storage in marina slips. For these boats, the sliding system is large and complex, usually requiring some sort of power to make the telescope slide. Because the sliding mechanism requires a small clearance between the sliding members, the akas will move slightly during sailing, which is difficult to avoid.
Andy Kahr The 1970s-vintage Telstar 26 features a simple hinge-down system with a bolted con- nection on deck and a bolted strut below.
Simple Horizontal Hinge Systems
Early trailerable trimaran designs often incorporated a simple hinged beam-reduction system to fold both sides down. Boats to about 25‘ (7.6m) with a 16‘ (4.9m) beam could be made to fold to 8‘. At the ama end, lifting the hull, sometimes with attached wing deck, could require substantial muscle or a mechanical lift. Even for smaller boats this task may be beyond one person’s capability. Normally, bolts and plates between the members secure the hull for sailing. On the Searunner 25 and Constant Camber 26 (7.9m), double-hinged tubes are bolted to tangs on the main hull.
Searunner Multihulls The Searunner 25 trimaran has a hinge mechanism on its metal-tube A-frame akas that secures with bolts at both ends.
Commonly, simple hinge systems require that the main hull be positioned rather high on the trailer so the amas clear the trailer wheels beneath. A disadvantage is that the trailer must be submerged more deeply than usual for the boat to float off. Compared to the Telstar system, the Searunner 25 offered some improvement by positioning the hinge point at the top of the cabinside, raising the folded ama slightly.
Complex Aka Hinge Systems
A complex system for folding multihulls, much like a garage door lift linkage, was developed and patented by Ian Farrier for his trailerable trimaran designs. It allows one person to fold or unfold the boat while it’s afloat. Before launching, the mast is stepped and secured with lower stays. Note that folded storage in the water for long periods is not practical because the immersed ama’s topsides will gather marine fouling. In addition, the arrangement of the support linkage arms has a very shallow angle with the aka, causing them to be highly stressed, which adds significant weight and cost.
Searunner Multihulls Unfolding it requires help from friends.
A complex folding system I developed has only four attachment bolts and a wide-angle strut brace. It is very light but requires folding prior to launching. It relies on a simple roller dolly on a beam attached to the trailer to support the ama during folding and unfolding.
Swing-Wing Systems
In-water storage of folding trimarans is generally limited to swing-wing designs, where the hulls all float on their respective waterlines, either folded or unfolded. Many variations have been used in production boats, and among the most successful is the Quorning-designed Dragonfly. It has hinged arms supported by a “waterstay”— a diagonal cable under the arm to counteract cantilever aka loads. The outer end of the arm, on the ama deck, pivots on a single pin. The waterstay becomes slack when the boat is folded, leaving only the hinge to support the ama in the folded configuration. I’ve seen one folded boat that was damaged while moored at the dock in strong harbor waves when the ama climbed onto the dock. Swing-wing designs stored in the water must provide strong vertical support for the ama in the folded condition
John Marples A swing-wing aka system on the Borg Quorning–designed Dragonfly 32 is further supported by a waterstay when rigged for sailing. The akas can be adjusted in and out while in the water and for storage at the dock.
The main challenge of the swing-wing system is to get all the pivot axes parallel because they must rotate about 90° without binding. If there is any depth to the structure, this accuracy is critical, as the pins or pivot axles could be quite long, so even a small inaccuracy will make the system difficult to assemble, let alone pivot smoothly.
Folding Multihulls with Flat Swing-Wing Akas
The most basic swing-wing system is the flat aka configuration developed by Jim Brown. He avoided the need for perfect parallel alignment of all hinge axes because the beams are not very thick, and the pivot-pin holes can have additional clearance. For the swing system to operate without binding, spacing of the pivot points must be identical on all the swing arms. The system’s downside is strength, because the aka must support all the heeling loads in a relatively narrow beam. For some boats, a waterstay may need to be added to increase cantilever strength and reduce deflections when sailing.
John Marples | Professional BoatBuilder Magazine The Seaclipper 16 flat swing- wing akas are made from common dimensional lumber and pivot using steel bolts.
A logical improvement in strength for swing arms is to add a truss, with triangulated strength that will easily bear all the heeling loads from the ama. Here again, it is essential that pivot axes be in perfect alignment to avoid binding. To my eye, open trusses in sleek yachts are never beautiful, but they offer higher strength for lower weight.
Complex Swing-Wing Systems
If the akas are not flat along their full length, it is more difficult to achieve a smoothly pivoting system. My latest boat, Syzygy (pronounced, sis-a-gee), is a case in point. Flat akas offer little variation in styling—flat is flat. To add underwing clearance and more attractive aesthetics, many designers favor the arched aka. This configuration allows the aka to approach the ama hull from above and connect through the deck for more usable immersion of the ama buoyancy, and to keep the aka above the wavetops.
This system has arched akas with an upward angle (dihedral) as they extend from the main hull and descend with a smooth curve onto the ama deck. The pivot axis must also be inclined, normal to the surface, to allow it to pivot. To make life simple, the vertical centerline of the ama is inclined inboard at the top by the same amount, which aligns all the pivot axes with the ama vertical centerline. If the beam is level fore-and-aft, when the ama is folded inboard, it is positioned rather low, due to the arch. To compensate, the akas must be given a negative angle of attack to make the folded ama arrive in the same position as a simple flat aka system. It’s a good challenge for any boatbuilder to get it right and a good use of a digital level. The angles in Syzygy were 8° dihedral, and a negative 5° angle of attack. The aka pivot surfaces must be perfectly parallel on both ends—at the inboard aka pivots and the ama deck pivot tables.
Courtesy Gougeon Bros. Jan Gougeon designed and built strings, a 40′ swing-wing catamaran with carbon- tubular-truss swing akas built over foam mandrels.
A late iteration of the Telstar 26 became the Telstar 28 with a vertical-axis swing-wing system. This production boat is no longer manufactured but was unique for its faired wing and attempt to hide the folding system from view. It also featured an electric linear drive to fold/unfold the heavy akas.
Trailers
For transporting folding multihulls on the highway, road trailers must have some specific attributes to properly support the hulls. Most models use transverse cradle supports under the hull at major interior bulkhead positions. It is important to install bow guides on the trailer to get the hull to settle in exactly the right place when retrieved from the water. Rollers beneath the hull are not recommended, as they tend to distort it and potentially cause damage. The amas require enough support so the folding mechanism is not carrying the load when being towed.
For swing-wing boats, there is a significant change in the center of gravity between folded to unfolded configurations. Normally, the amas swing back when folded and swing forward for the sailing position. If the trailer has the proper tongue weight for towing on the hitch with the boat folded, the weight will increase when unfolded. For trailers with telescoping tongues, tongue design must accomodate that weight; otherwise, the extended tongue may bend severely during launching or retrieval.
Homebuilt wooden trailers are popular for these specialized boats, and some designers provide plans for them. Without much metal in them, they will probably float, which sometimes leads to difficulty at launching. Adding some steel channel to the bunks can solve that. However, floating is not an undesirable feature if a trailer floats level but is submerged enough to maneuver the hull into the bunks, and the hull settles into the right place automatically. Floating trailers also never run off the end of the ramp.
Conclusions
There’s truth in the humorous claim that “the new family yacht has to look good behind your SUV.” But while many of the latest small boats are daysailers, folding multihulls have expanded the trailerable and transportable boat size to include those with weekend cruising capability, up to about 32‘. As we’ve seen, those essential folding or retraction mechanisms are not simple and must be carefully designed and engineered, even by the home builder. But for owners of these boats, seasonal storage and slip availability are no longer problems. And the overall reduction in total cost can bring owning a boat within reach for many more people. What’s not to like about that?
About the Author: John Marples has designed, built, and rigged many sail- ing vessels. His portfolio includes doz- ens of wood-epoxy composite sailing and power multihulls to 110′ (33.5m). He operates Marples Marine, a multihull design and engineering firm in Penobscot, Maine
Dieter Loibner | Professional BoatBuilder Magazine
Nomenclature
Multihull designers have developed some useful, specific names for components, mostly derived from the Pacific Islander language.
Aka (ah-kah) refers to the crossbeam structure of any multihull. Designers used to call them “cross-beams,” but writing that on hand-drawn plans took up too much space and time, so this shorter Polynesian name became the standard.
Ama (ah-mah) is the Polynesian name for the outer hull of a trimaran or proa. They were formerly named “floats” or “outer hulls” (never pontoons), but again, ama is shorter.
Vaka (vah-kah) is the Polynesian name for the main (largest) hull of a trimaran or proa. Since it can be confused with the other names and is not very descriptive, most designers have opted for the term main hull.
Waterstay is a diagonal stay, metal or synthetic rope, below the aka, between the main hull near the waterline and aka near its outboard end. This stay counteracts the upward load from ama buoyancy when the ama is immersed.
—John Marples
The Crossbeam (Aka) Structure
The essential function of any crossbeam (aka) system on a multihull is to structurally connect the hulls in a way that resists all the forces generated when sailing. Heeling forces from lift on the sails must be transferred to the leeward hull by the aka structure. The forces on the akas are complex, composed of cantilever bending due to heeling loads, twisting of the structural platform, and horizontal bending caused by drag from the ama’s forward motion through the water. The heeling force, resisted by the buoyancy of the ama, pushes up, causing cantilever bending loads in the akas similar to the forces on an airplane wing. Torsion is created when the sails’ lift pushes the leeward ama bow down, while the shrouds supporting the mast pull the weather-side ama stern up. Drag from the leeward ama tries to bend the akas toward the stern, and forces from the windward shroud tend to pull the aka forward as well as up. These forces all act together at the attachment points on the hulls. In most cases, torsion is resisted by the tubular hull and cabin structure itself. Heeling is countered by the cantilever strength of the aka beams and is sometimes strengthened by diagonal waterstay cables beneath. Drag forces can be resolved by the fore-and-aft strength of the akas or by adding diagonal cables between the akas. Each folding system must accommodate these loads through all the pivoting components in the structure.
Of key interest in aka design are the loads imposed on the ama hulls by the seaway when sailing to windward. These hulls are subject to significant loads on the outboard sides. The windward ama is pummeled by wavetops, and the leeward ama is pushed sideways due to leeway. Since the aka system is characteristically attached through the ama deck, these forces are trying to rotate the ama keel inboard, toward the main hull, in either case. The same is true for catamarans, concerning the aka loads where they emerge at the hull inboard sides. These loads can be calculated to estimate the strength required for any configuration and should be part of the design’s stress analysis. If centerboards or daggerboards are located in the amas, those rotating forces are significantly increased.
Of further interest in swing-wing designs is the clearance between pins and brackets in vertical pivot mechanisms. When sailing, the forces at the hinge pins can change from positive to negative repetitively, creating noise and wear. The wear will eventually elongate the holes, reduce pin diameter, and become a maintenance problem. Designs like the flat wing can be tightened to eliminate movement, which will eliminate wear. Amas with waterstays tend to put the akas in compression and stop the vertical deflection that would be normally carried through the hinge pins. In that case, the pins would be loaded in only one direction and not be subject to cyclic ± loads. —J.M.
